NJ Rivermonster

[Esox Luciano]

Well, I thought I had a great day yesterday so I told my buddie who can use a nice pike on his line & he was game for today. Waited till he actualy lost a fish to throw mine so he had better of a chance. But I wasn't goin be just watchin him. So, threw my lure bout 15-20 times n hooked her. She felt big right off the bat with my strong ass pole bent like me on new years. About a 10-15 minute fight n my buddy A helped with a no crash landing. It felt great!! I'm sure its my pb, it wieghed about 22-23 lbs I'd say without a scale. I'm on ur tail J.V.. TIGHT LINEZ FELLAZ!!!

https://i.postimg.cc/7Lm5DwR0/20200110-155937.png (https://postimg.cc/674WfJtp)

[GetANet]

Beast !!!! Great Catch!!!! That fish is THICK Bro!!!!!!

[gwl2oneida]

That's a fish called karma. Awesome catch, you deserve it.

[Jigman13]

Jesus Christ that's a friggin beast dude! Holy f*ck! Did u get any kind of measurements at all??? Congrats man!

And what did she eat???

[saxmatt]

Now THAT'S a pike! Hell of a fish, congrats!

[Skunk City]

Impressive! Any measurements?

[Esox Luciano]

Thanks fellaz. No measurements wanted the fish back in quik n was tryin to be promt. But, there are 3 things I don't do; steal, snitch, or lie, all will get you in bad predicaments. Trust. That being said, IMO, 45" 23lbs. I say this to be safe, I think it's bigger...but feel safe with those numbers. Nonetheless, my best yet and one he'll of a fight! Think it might've been the 1 that shredded my 20lb leader yesterday but no lure or leader on her.? Hmmm. Do I have to get out there 2morrow too?

[Soulstream]

Nice!! Big pike, congrats

[slider]

Can't think of better word than just awesome..Great catch great pic..Now you have a personel challenge to top that critter, best of luck...

[lennysky]

Looks like lower river in Garfield.

[Gatto1227]

Can't argue with you. Huge fish man. Don't get to see many like that pulled out of the river. Congrats

[Jigman13]

If that fish is 45", which is a stroooooong possibility, then it'd put its weight well over 23 lbs dude. Look at the girth on that thing!!

[NorthJerzyG]

:eek: NICE!!

[Chrisper4694]

Wow, thanks for showing us pike like that still swim nj waters. That is tremendous!

[antgogz]

Beautiful fish man! What lure were you throwing????

[The Birdman]

A true NJ River monster! epic catch man !

[Chrisper4694]

wait is that a maple leaf on that pike's cheek??? it's a canadian pike!!!

[AndyS]

DAYUM !!! Wish we had them like that over here in the Millstone. 30 years of stocking pike in there and maybe one or two caught.

[BottomBouncer13]

Wow...impressive catch

[BooyahBoxSmasher]

This is the fattest pike that I have seen come out of the river. Congratulations on a job well done!

[FASTEDDIE29]

A NJ River Monster without a doubt! That is a huge River Pike. It may be the biggest fattest Pike I've ever seen in NJ! AWESOME catch! It's hard to guesstimate the length but I'll say the fish is over 25 lbs easily. Well done!!! Congrats on a new PB Pike!!!!:D

[ScowardNJ]

with out a doubt the fattest NJ Pike I've ever seen. Awesome fish man! MONSTER!

[kcritch]

That's a Marshawn Lynch Fish...BEAST MODE 24/7!!! Nicely done dude.

[Mikey topaz]

Nice fish dude, congrats!

[stevejordan]

im saying thats all of 30 pounds. awesome fish dude!

[Suntzu]

Well, I thought I had a great day yesterday so I told my buddie who can use a nice pike on his line & he was game for today. Waited till he actualy lost a fish to throw mine so he had better of a chance. But I wasn't goin be just watchin him. So, threw my lure bout 15-20 times n hooked her. She felt big right off the bat with my strong ass pole bent like me on new years. About a 10-15 minute fight n my buddy A helped with a no crash landing. It felt great!! I'm sure its my pb, it wieghed about 22-23 lbs I'd say without a scale. I'm on ur tail J.V.. TIGHT LINEZ FELLAZ!!!

http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a573/Realdeal47/20141221_140153_zps30ac007a.jpg (http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/Realdeal47/media/20141221_140153_zps30ac007a.jpg.html)

Wow! That is awesome. I have been fishing the P forever and haven't caught one close to that; its every bit of of 25+ all fat with eggs and ready for the Feb spawn that never happens

[Jigman13]

Re: the spawning comment... Nature always finds a way. Pretty sure they're procreating in the river. Pickerel-pike hybrids are caught in that river which indicates some form of successful breeding. I think the State is still looking for evidence, however. Mark B. would know more about it though.

Back to the beast... I keep looking at it and saying "holy sh*t!"

[jimmythegreek]

thats a pig, def the fattest Ive seen come out of NJ. this is the perfect time of the year for pigs, they are still eating well and wont thin up by using their fat til after the new year. that fish is super thick, lots of suckers, carp, and panfish inhaled thru that mouth for sure........good job

[Mikew36]

Well, considering I've caught 1 puny pike in the passaic that is freakin gargantuan !! Heck of a catch man !

[msgdan]

Absolute monster on any river and even a bigger monster on the Passaic. Congrats on a great fish....well deserved !

Danny V

[MikeNJ]

Congrats man! That is a slob of a fish!!

[Esox Luciano]

Thanks again fellaz, I'm still PUMPED!! Beautiful fish man! What lure were you throwing???? If you go to Meltzer's Sporting Goods in Garfield just ask what the dude with the Steelers hat uses, they'll show you everything I pick out.
So, after all the positive feedback u guys gave I had to look further & compare. The NJ record stands @ 30lbs 8.5 ounces with a length of 46" & a girth of 22.25". It is held by a gentleman initialed J.V. and was caught out of Pompton Lake, ( red shirt below). In all reality, can I unofficially say I'm wearing the belt guys? Lemme know.
http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a573/Realdeal47/IMG_20141223_012122_zps90d21840.jpg (http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/Realdeal47/media/IMG_20141223_012122_zps90d21840.jpg.html)
http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a573/Realdeal47/20141221_140153_zps30ac007a.jpg (http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/Realdeal47/media/20141221_140153_zps30ac007a.jpg.html)

[FASTEDDIE29]

Although it's very difficult to determine the length of your fish from this photo, I say you got em on the girth alone. Fish is just so damn thick it's insane. I think you may have it by a couple lbs. Congrats again on an AMAZING catch!!!:D

[gwl2oneida]

Kinda glad you didn't get the measurements but a great pic instead. I'd hate to see everyone killing every nice fish they think might be a record. Beside, anyone that wants to have a mount made just needs pics and measurements. Foam mounts look just as good if not better and last longer.

[Gatto1227]

You can tell that's a big fish by its head. Great fish once again. That thing is built like a carp

[Andrushkin33]

That's an absolute monster catch man.

Congrats.

Andre

[saxmatt]

I think your length estimate is a little high but your weight estimate is a little low. I'd guess it's 40-42" and around 25lbs. When I first saw the pic of the NJ state record pike I didn't think it was a 30 but pics can be deceiving. In the pic of the record he is holding the pike closer to his body and the camera is farther away. In your pic you are holding the fish out more and the camera is closer to the fish. Here's another pic of the record where you can see the true size of the fish. It doesn't even look like the same pike. Again, congrats on the catch, that's one hell of a fish!

http://www.thebassbarn.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=18980&d=1252687089

[bowzonly]

INSANE! and I love your philosophy,there are 3 things I don't do; steal, snitch, or lie, all will get you in bad predicaments.

[bowzonly]

Was the Pompton fish released?

[saxmatt]

Here's a 42" 23lb and a 44" 27 for reference. Your fish looks more like the 23, give or take a few pounds.

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8431/7740758384_9965a85bb3_o.jpg

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/7740755256_ee0cf5a36a_o.jpg

[dakota560]

Looks like lower river in Garfield.

Why would anyone attempt to burn a spot for someone who just caught a fish of a lifetime and elected to share it with everyone on the site? The guy was decent enough to share the pic for all to enjoy, I don't think trying to blow his location is a fitting way of thanking him in return. Comments like that do nothing but deter others from posting for fear their honey hole will be standing room only next time they go. A little common courtesy goes a long way. You wouldn't want your favorite locations exposed on a public web site, I'm sure the same courtesy shown to others would go a long way in return.

Dakota

[dakota560]

Esox,

That is one amazing fish, congrats on the catch and more so the release. Fish certainly looks like she was eating well........nice to see this kind of fishery exists locally. Great job and thanks for sharing!

Dakota

[UglyStick]

What a monster... and from NJ... congrats on the fish and the release... a trophy for sure

[gnuisance]

In my opinion whether or not its a record isn't that important. You released your fish which is the ultimate selfless act for an angler. That fish could grow to 50" now and be caught by another angler.

I tip my cap to you for the best p river pike I've seen and even more so for the release. Well done sir.

[liveitup1.75liter]

Hellz YEAH! !!! Very Impressive!!! U got some serious braggin rights bro.. Ill be stareing at that thing 4 a while

[JDTuna]

Epic fish dude! Congratulations.

[jimcnj]

Keeping this thread going...

Great fish!

[cmoran719]

wow, this really makes me want to get on the Passaic ASAP. Awesome fish man, you're killing it.

[Esox Luciano]

** *Alriiiight, THANKS GUYS!! I'm putting it on! Thanks to the great feedback and visual/oral tailoring, THIS BELT FITS PERFECT!!*
** Great looking pike in the other photos posted but after reviewing them with some of NJ's more elite anglers( you guys), hard and softwater, it's kinda hands down. The fish, as well as I, simply just has more girth. If, I, held his fish in my hands, it'd look smaller because I'm bigger, and strong enough to hold it properly (horizontally). With the weight it had my fish's head woulda peeled off it's body had I misheld it (vertically). Like Gnuisance said,"That fish could grow to 50" now and be caught by another angler. " Envy or curiosity lead someone there since my catch & all they have to show for it is trash left behind.
** I can't stop you from fishing @any of my spots, but take your garbage out when you bring it in, don't be a dirtbag!!!!
** And if you're not, hope to see you out there sometime, at any of my spots. Just don't cross my line, hahaa!! Thanks again for everything, TIGHT LINEZ FELLAZ!!*
** * *& A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

p.s. I'll be accepting all unofficial contenders via pm... GET@ME!!!

[CPR1]

Hey guys. I am new to the board but not new to fishing NJ waters (30+ years). I have visited this board a few times to read reports and felt the time was right to register and start giving back. What pushed me to register was the urge to reply to this thread. To echo all the folks here, this is one hell of a Pike. More impressive, it came from NJ, one step further, it came from the Passaic (did not intend to blow up your location, seems it is pretty clear where you are by the picture and the replies). For a long time, this fishery was considered dead and the high pollution levels in these waters made it laughable to think it would ever come back to produce trophy class fish. Most of you veteran Passaic fisherman already know this. I know a lot of the biologists who manage our NJ waters and have followed their efforts to get the Passaic back on it's feet. These guys did one hell of a job creating an amazing Pike fishery and this recent catch is proof of their successful efforts. Back to Esox Luciano. Bravo, sir! So glad it was you who caught this fish. It is so important to have experienced anglers out there who realize the importance of C&R and to have a high respect for a mature fish that is so important to a fishery. Well done not only on the capture but on the successful release! Regarding the post defending you on sharing your report. Anyone can look at the background of a picture and report chase. You risked exposing your location to share this great report with the board. Cudos again! Anyone can call out a location on a board, have some respect for the angler who shared this great report. As for the numbers, one reply was spot on. It is so hard to tell from a picture. The example of the two shots of the state record is proof of that. The horizontal pic looks like a 40" 20# fish. The vertical hold really shows the fish's true size. Heart breaking that fish was taken but that is a whole other religious debate. Bottom line, not many anglers know just how rare and difficult it is to catch a fish like this in NJ. Congrats! No one can dispute this is a fish of record size. I would urge you to be careful with the self proclaimed anointing, however. That said, I would rather have someone release a fish and assume it is a record, than kill it to prove it is. Again, estimating the weight of an Esox from one picture is extremely difficult. You saw the fish in the flesh and you are entitled to your opinion nonetheless. No one can take away from you the fact that you have accomplished an amazing feat capturing this giant. In the past, I have asked an expert in photo forensics to help me size muskies that were not measured or weighed. Google Larry Ramsell and send your picture to him. He will also tell you that it is extremely difficult to size a fish (especially the weight) from one picture but I don't think there is anyone out there that is better than Larry. I would also suggest sharing this picture with the team at NJDFGW. Pictures of fish like this help them gain continued support and funding for their stocking efforts in an environment of increasing cutbacks and shrinking budgets. One last tidbit to chew on. I have seen a lot of the data from the netting of muskies for brood stock. In order for a musky to reach 30 libs, it typically needs to be 48" and real heavy or longer. I'll stop preaching now and say congratulations on an awesome catch and more importantly, for being a conservationist. Thanks for sharing this awesome experience.

[Esox Luciano]

Thank you for your feedback CPR1 & welcome to the board. Though it took me only 3 years since starting fishing to catch this fish, I would imagine tryin for 30+ years would def motivate me as well after seeing such a thing. I'm flattered it was my catch that brought you here. The fine anglers on this forum now, and before me, are the exact reason why I'm here. So, thanks again fellaz, because you guys made me hungrier!!
That being said. I know 1st hand that it wouldn't feel soo good at the top, if it didn't feel soo crappie at the bottom!
THAT being said, I'd like to give a shout out to LENNYSKY!! Another freshwater MONSTER FISHERMAN, who stirred the pot!
I'm deeeply humble, to my river, for this fish.
The title WILL REMAIN, until I see bigger.
The offer still stands as well: I WILL BE ACCEPTING ALL CONTENDERS VIA PM....GET@ME!!! http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PmFJtt67C1Y#


http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a573/Realdeal47/20476b18df03332d644f093a81981da8_zps905fa541.jpg (http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/Realdeal47/media/20476b18df03332d644f093a81981da8_zps905fa541.jpg.h tml)
https://i.postimg.cc/7Lm5DwR0/20200110-155937.png (https://postimg.cc/674WfJtp)

[AndyS]

I haven't even fished for Pike in the Passaic, but I'm not giving up on going after this................I'm a letter writing campaign :)

[lennysky]

Thanks! We are in the same boat. Lol. 2 huge NJ fish that stirred people's imagination. I used to fish that area of the river years back but never landed a pike. Hooked a giant but lost it. I see that our stories bring more and more fisherman to this forum and I love it. One day I hope to meet you in person and shake your hand. Quite a feat to land such a nice fish from the shore. You are a better COnservationist than I am though since you released yours and I decided to keep mine

Thank you for your feedback CPR1 & welcome to the board. Though it took me only 3 years since starting fishing to catch this fish, I would imagine tryin for 30+ years would def motivate me as well after seeing such a thing. I'm flattered it was my catch that brought you here. The fine anglers on this forum now, and before me, are the exact reason why I'm here. So, thanks again fellaz, because you guys made me hungrier!!
That being said. I know 1st hand that it wouldn't feel soo good at the top, if it didn't feel soo crappie at the bottom!
THAT being said, I'd like to give a shout out to LENNYSKY!! Another freshwater MONSTER FISHERMAN, who stirred the pot!
I'm deeeply humble, to my river, for this fish.
The title WILL REMAIN, until I see bigger.
The offer still stands as well: I WILL BE ACCEPTING ALL CONTENDERS VIA PM....GET@ME!!! http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PmFJtt67C1Y#


http://i1284.photobucket.com/albums/a573/Realdeal47/20476b18df03332d644f093a81981da8_zps905fa541.jpg (http://s1284.photobucket.com/user/Realdeal47/media/20476b18df03332d644f093a81981da8_zps905fa541.jpg.h tml)

[bunker dunker]

cograts!!!!! people fish a life time for a monster like that.you got your day in the sun,enjoy it.congrats again on a great catch.

[15FOOTER]

Crazy nice fish...even better release...you stroke that ego with your "self-proclaimed unofficial title" lol wear that belt...weeear iitt

[Esox Luciano]

Hey fellaz. Not tryin to keep this thread going for the hell of it but it has one more breath left.... In the past, I have asked an expert in photo forensics to help me size muskies that were not measured or weighed. Google Larry Ramsell and send your picture to him. He will also tell you that it is extremely difficult to size a fish (especially the weight) from one picture but I don't think there is anyone out there that is better than Larry.
I got a response back from Mr. Ramsell today and glad that he concurred with the obvious. His response was " Wow, what a pig of a pike!! Unusually fat. My best guess for weight would be between 30 and 35 pounds...Larry".
So yea, it still feels great to feel great!! For what it's worth, thanks for the bonus braggin' rights. PEACE!!!

...YOU KNOW...GET@ME!

http://www.njfishing.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=16&pictureid=288

[CPR1]

You are a better COnservationist than I am though since you released yours and I decided to keep mine

Just curious, are you getting a skin mount for that musky you caught? I would love to see a picture of it if you do.

[lennysky]

CPR1 was this a question for me on my musky? Then yes.